Tote
by VJtheSloth101
Summary: The sister of Goku is paying a visit to Earth. She witnessed things she wished she wouldn't have, and is living with the grudge she holds toward the family she misses. A seemingly unlimited power level and a longing for a family that won't leave her to die. *(Slight PiccoloxOC)
1. Chapter 1

_Explosions. Blood. Screams. Surges of flames. It is hell._

 _A little girl stares blankly out the window of her room. The screams of agonizing pain echo through her bare mind and the blood trickling from bodies does not faze her. Then, a figure dawned in a cloak crashes through the door. The girl turns her head in the direction. She bears no desire to fight and sits unresponsively in place, seeing through the person hefting her into their arms and dashing out. The person jostles for what seems like miles, keeping the girl's head buried in their shoulder the entire time so as not to expose her to the scenes of murder._

 _Finally, after somehow having appeared invisible to the chaos around, the two arrive at a familiar structure. It is the boarding station for space pods. Briefly glancing over their shoulder, the individual assumes they are not being followed and lets out a breath of relief, then takes the young girl by her hand and leads her into the building. As they go deeper and deeper into the heart of the station, the girl starts to discern something. She feels fear. Refusing to let her feelings get a hold of her, she pushes the dreadful sensation away. Her grip tightens on the stranger's hand. They firmly squeeze her hand back._

 _The girl steadies her focus down at her feet, her free arm stra_ _ining not to clutch the hem of her ragged_ _dress. She takes in a short, sharp inhale and forces her eyes to look up into a dark hallway. It looks as if it has no end. The girl gulps before letting this person pull her further into the building. Her heart hammered in her chest, the thought pounding in her head, 'This is where...' She shakes it free of her head._

 _It comes into view: an emergency pod. The impending fate suddenly hits her like a cold blast of air. On instinct, she fully comes to her senses and yanks her hand out of the mysterious figure's. She then starts to pick up a feeling of familiarity about this person. She manages a single question; "Who are you?"_

 _Letting out a deep sigh, the figure tosses back the hood of their cloak. It's Gine. Her daughter catches her jaw as it's about to drop open. Speechless, she digs deep into her mother's eyes, taking in everything she sees in them. Guilt, shame, remorse. She wants to find what she is looking for in those dark eyes. But all that she can shift through is depression._

 _Gine tears her eyes away from Tote, not wanting to start crying in front of her child. Her sorrow is built up inside her like solid rock, threatening to break any moment. She bites down on her lip and squeezes her eyes shut as hard as she can. Tote's emotions come in waves. First confusion, then affection. And then, rage. She feels herself growing increasingly infuriated with her mother for having the guts to come and rescue her after everything else she let happen to her before. She disgustedly whips her head away from her mother as well. The two don't dare look at one another; one out of misery, the other out of boiling anger._

 _A chilling presence courses through the dim, immense hall. And they both feel it. All but fear drains from their beings. In sync, Gine and Tote's attention snap toward the direction they came in, that ungodly power gradually drawing closer and closer._

 _"Well, what have we here?" a pitiless voice mocks. A faint shadow pours in across the floor and onto the daughter and mother's feet from what light is there in the gloomy atmosphere of the pod station. "Oh, how adorable!" it goes on, taunting. "A mommy monkey and her little baby." The threatening figure steps into full view. Extending from his body are two horns and a tail. He wears a nasty sneer. One that reads disaster. "How...heartwarming."_

 _Gine raises her guard and defensively sticks herself between Frieza and Tote. She relieves herself of the rest of her cloak, bearing her teeth. "Keep...away...from my...daughter." she growls through her gritted teeth. She spreads her legs and raises her fists, her entire body tense. Tote's eyes widen. Her mother stuck herself in the way of danger's harm._

 _Frieza starts to chuckle, then breaks into full hysteria. Catching his breath, he giggles, "Oh, and you, a filthy monkey, are going to stop me?"_

 _The Saiyan warrior breaks a sweat, cringing at the fact that she knows she doesn't stand a chance against this monster in front of her. She shifts her eyes back towards Tote, her face a combination of confusion and concern. She flicks her attention back to Frieza, arms folded and expression patient, waiting for Gine to fail. His unpleasant smile widened._

 _Growling one final time, she bursts into full speed, seizing her daughter and reaching the door of the pod. It clicks open, too slow as the bloodthirsty fiend behind them begins to close in. She frantically tries to shove Tote through the entrance, but stops dead cold as soon as she realizes she's clinging onto her as tightly as she can. Frustrated, she hisses at her, "Tote. Let go. NOW." She struggles to brush away her grip on her arms, but proves futile. She starts trying to pull out from her grasp. She feels a sting growing stronger in stronger in the corner of her eyes as she now begs, "Tote, PLEASE." She can feel Frieza's breath on the back of her neck._

 _"NO!" Tote shouts, her voice anguished. She clambers past her mother's arms and reaches her torso, burying her face into her chest. She stares straight into Gine's eyes once more, revealing her tear-stricken face and furrowed brows. She takes in a sharp gasp and shouts at her face, "You're not leaving me again, not like this! YOU'RE NOT!" She tugs ferociously at the straps of her armor, shaking her with all her might._

 _Gine feels that solid dam of emotion break. The hot, stinging tears spill out of her eyes. She stares down longingly at Tote, holding her head against her chest a second time. She gently strokes her long, spiky hair that she had gotten from her father. She whispers her name, "Tote..." Her tears dribble down her face and fall into those black, unruly strands._ _"I have to."_ _They're both now almost completely oblivious to the evil presence lurking directly behind them. Frieza_ _cackles, "Oh, well isn't that sweet? Well then, I might as well give you the opportunity to say good-bye. You have exactly two minutes before I exterminate this planet." He takes a single step back and begins to charge his attack. The mother and daughter completely ignore him._

 _"Why?" Tote whimpers. "Not just now, but every other time. Why'd you do it?"_

 _Gine smiles sadly. "Because I wanted to keep you safe, Tote."_

 _Tote doesn't understand. Why does she always have to do this? She at least has the right to decide for herself whether she gets to die with her mother on her home planet. And that betrayal. Her family had nearly cut all ties with her when they let them take her away. She had pleaded them not to leave her, they had dropped her in a heartbeat. That terrible feeling stabbed at her. The feel of that cold cellar she had been thrown in, and that hollow, dead parasite gnawing away at her insides as her being had withered away. It bloomed throughout her body again. She went stiff and blocked her eyes off from her mother.  
_

 _Tote allows her weeping mother to lift her more tenderly into the space pod. And then, as the door closes, she hears Gine's voice one, final time, "Please forgive us, for everything. I'm sorry." At these words, Tote lunges at the chance to catch a glance at her mother one final time. And then, she sees it, what she had wanted to earlier. Love. Way too late. The energy in Tote rises like a swell as she realizes it. And then, Gine presses her hand against the window of the pod, mouthing, "I love you." Blinding, white light that seems like it suddenly appeared out of nowhere encases a sorrowful Gine. At last second, Tote slams her hand against the window, over the vanishing silhouette of Gine's._

 _The pod rockets into the sky, into space. Tote's eyes flood with fat, streaming droplets as the impact from take-off in her pod threatens to crush her._

 _But just as soon the force disappears. Tote jams her face against the glass and looks back as planet Vegeta is slowly enveloped by the light. As it closes off on the other side, it explodes. Tote shrieks, then recoils back from the window like she was struck by the explosion. She buries her face into her hands and curls up into a pathetic, little ball in her space pod. Forgive them. She never would._


	2. Chapter 2

**Rebecca323- Thank you so much for your comment. I hope I haven't kept you waiting for too long, but here is the next chapter.**

* * *

Tote's eyes snap open, panting heavily and drenched in sweat. Her breathing settles after a moment or two, as she realizes she had just been having another one of those terrible dreams. Upon calming down, she stares down at her lap momentarily, then peers out the same window from years ago.

As advanced in Saiyan technology she had been, it was ridiculous how many years the repairs on her vessel had costed her. She is now a grown woman. Tote gazes into the open palm of her right hand, her head swimming. Her power level...she literally couldn't reach her limit. Breaking past all those mental walls of doubt that defied her strength was overwhelming for herself. It felt amazing, but at the same time it was also...frightening. And this entire time stood the fact that she was...

Clenching her fist as tight as so it begins to burn, Tote presses the depressing though deep into the corners of her mind. Twisting around in the cramped, confided space of her pod, she can just see that treacherous little planet she had wasted her life up to this moment on growing smaller as she speeds away from it. She reassumes her position in the pod and pulls her legs up against her chest. Spent from residing for most of her life, completely alone, on that remote little planet, she can't find any of the excitement or joy in finally getting to meet her baby brother. Just what does she do after she finds her him? What was she trying to reach, vowing the entire time she resided on that planet to one day find him again? Her temple throbs. Her dead, sullen eyes drift closed once more. It all seems like that little girl who crash-landed on foreign land so long ago is an entirely different person. Tote squeezes her knees tighter against herself.

Drowsiness starts to set in again, harder than before. Tote collapses onto her side in her curled-up position, her heart worn and stone-cold. Allowing her eyes to open once more for a squint, she catches a glimpse in the corner of her eye a poorly conditioned family-photo from a different life. A caring mother. A proud father. Side-by-side are a grinning brother, his arm locked around his giggling sister in a playful manner. And in the bassinet, set in the center of the photograph, a sleeping baby, happy and healthy and entirely unaware of his impending destiny. Tote averts her eyes, closing them once more. She now lays completely face-down into the padding of her space-pod, still in her balled-up position, alone.

* * *

"HERE HE COMES!"

As Son Goku comes soaring through the air above the sea, he can hear- and see- tiny dots on the shore of a tiny island that are none other than his best friends. His grin expands larger and larger, Kamehouse closing in. Unable to bear the ecstatic tension any longer, Goku lets himself come gliding down onto the sand, running as his feet reaches land. Almost instantly, he's enveloped in the group-embrace of his friends. Directly in his arms is Chichi. Out of everyone, she is the most tear-stricken.

After what seems like for ages, everybody breaks up, wiping tears from the corners of their eyes. Krillin is the first to speak. "Good to have you back, big guy," he grins.

Goku shows full teeth as he grins back. "It's good to be back."

"Gee, Dad..." Goku's attention draws to his eldest son's voice. Gohan moves back a step or two to form space with his arm around Videl and his hand placed on Pan's shoulder. "It's more than good. We're so glad you finally came back."

Goten moves beside. "Especially Mom. She was going crazy the whole time without you here," he jokes.

Everybody laughs, Chichi pouting her lip as she rests her hands on her hips. "Say what you want, but he is my husband. I have every right to miss him."

Goku looks closer at his wife, smiling gently. "I missed you, too, Chichi." She glances up at him, then smiles, wrapping her arms around his neck as she hugs him once more. Goku then suddenly feels the absence of one party. "Speaking of which, where's Vegeta?"

"Now he notices," that familiar, arrogant voice can be heard from the porch of the small house. His wife shoots an icy glare towards his direction. "Oh, Vegeta, when are you going to learn to stop sulking the entire time?" Bulma scowls.

"When you stop nagging me," her husband retorts.

"Hey, Vegeta!" Goku jogs over. "Long time no see!"

"Hmph," Vegeta shrugs him off.

Goku scrunches together his eyebrows and tries to give him a sympathetic smile. "Hey, don't be like that. I've missed you, buddy!"

Former prince of all Saiyans cracks a look at his rival from the corner o f his eye and sighs, "Hello, Kakarot. I've missed you, too!" His words are oozing with sarcasm.

Gohan looks down at his feet, smiling sadly. "We're all glad you're back, Dad," he says again, "but it's a shame that Mr. Piccolo couldn't be here to see you, since he's been dead ever since he was sent to Hell."

Grinning, Gohan's father breaks the setting silence. "About that..." he pulls out a bag and reaches in, pulling out its contents. In his hands are...dragonballs.

Goku rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Shenlong might've agreed to one more wish for when I got back." Upon realization, everybody's faces light up. Without hesitation, the set down the dragonballs on the sand. In sequence, the atmosphere shifts as the sky fades dark and from the starred spheres erupt the dragon. Gushes of wind blow back everyone's hair.

"Son Goku," booms the dragon. "As of agreement, I shall resurrect Piccolo." And, just like that, out of the blue appears the Namekian warrior. "Your wish is granted," Shenlong resonates in his thunderous tone, "Fare you well."

Within a heartbeat, the landscape looks as if nothing had happened just now, dragon gone (as well as the dragonballs), and Piccolo is being bombarded by the children. Cringing, their parents rush over and pry their children off of Piccolo's arms and legs. Catching his breath, Piccolo has a moment to himself before he notices Goku next to him. Before speaking, he blinks once to assure himself he isn't hallucinating. Still standing there, Goku greets his friend with a serious smile, "It's good to see you again, too, Piccolo."

Piccolo reciprocates the smile and returns, "Likewise, Son Goku." Then, upon looking past Goku's shoulder, Piccolo spots Gohan, clearly trying to keep himself from breaking out into emotion for his mentor. Rolling his eyes, Piccolo offers Gohan a nod, to which he immediately seizes as the opportunity to drop to the ground like a monk bowing before Buddha. Piccolo gives an annoyed grimace.

When Videl finally manages to pick her weeping husband up off of the sand, Piccolo turns back to Goku. "First things first; thanks. For bringing me back."

"Of course we'd bring you back," Goku says, "The very least I promised you was to get you back into Heaven, wasn't it?"

Piccolo goes on, "But at that, unfortunately, the reason behind why you resurrected me around the time of the World Martial Arts Tournament is obvious."

Goku breaks his intense expression and laughs, embarrassed. "Well, it's practically a tradition, am I right?"

Krillin hangs his head and crosses his arms, giving an exhausted, "Oh, boy." Everybody breaks out into laughter.

* * *

Elsewhere, Tote's pod impacts into the center of a barren wasteland.


	3. Chapter 3

Tote jolts awake as her pod slams into the rocky ground. A deafening thunder from collision makes the whole ordeal all the more miserable. Then, as quick as it just happened, it's over. Tote gives herself a moment to gather herself, as she was just shaken along with the entire pod.

Exhaling, she figures it best to climb out. The door opens, and she steps out onto the center of the crater her pod had just created. She walks casually up and out of the hole, coming to the surface where rocks, mountains, and patches of grass lay scattered over the landscape. Realizing she landed in an uninhabited location, she picks up into the air and starts to speed over the terrain, keeping watch for a power level.

Then, all of a sudden she can detect many small power levels not far off. A civilization of Earthlings. She heads off to the left and sees several tall buildings come into view. As she gets within 10 meters of it, she drops to her feet and starts walking. Soon, she's in the middle of the city.

She feels so...odd, to have this many people around. But what can she expect, she grew up by herself on a deserted planet. Glancing around, she can see that she's earning a lot of strange looks from the civilians. What are they gawking at? Looking down at herself, she doesn't see what could be attracting so much attention. Then she does. Her clothes. Ever since she crash-landed, her only attire consisted of the animal-skin dress that she had landed in. And, unlike herself, it hadn't grown. By now it was just a short, uncomfortably tight skirt and a skimpy tube-top.

Totes roams around for a clothing department, and soon comes upon one. Entering, she approaches the front desk where a blond store attendant resides, her face caked in too much make-up. She comes straight to Tote. "How can I help you today, ma'am?" she asks in an annoyingly high-pitched, cheery voice, "Skirts? Tops? Dresses?"

"All of that," Tote replies, "I need a full outfit."

"Of course," replies the attendant, motioning to a fitting-room, "Right this way."

Tote walks into the small area with the attendant in tow, who politely asks Tote to wait. She soon comes back with several heaps of clothing. "So, first of all, what is your bra-size, miss?"

"My what-size?" Tote asks, confused.

The attendant is surprised, but decides to see for herself and glances up at Tote's chest. She's even more surprised, and perhaps even a little worried now. "Um, please wait for a moment." She scampers out of the room again and returns with more pieces of cloth, these looking a little more stringy. The attendant takes one more glimpse in the direction of Tote's breasts and immediately pulls out a cup-H brazier. She hands it over to Tote and asks her to dawn, making a gesture demonstrating how. As Tote begins to make a switch with her top, the attendant steps outside of the fitting room. Not long after, Tote calls her in. Coming back inside, the attendant nearly faints. This unusual customer makes an H look like an A. At least three quarters of her chest are still visible, bulging out from the bra. The straps shake under strain, threatening to tear at any second. If Tote is in any discomfort, she doesn't show it. But she still makes the request, "Um, do you think you could get a larger size?"

The attendant swipes at her sweaty forehead with a handkerchief, apologizing, "Er, I'm sorry ma'am, but that happens to be our largest size."

Tote sends a brief disappointed glance in the attendant's direction, but sighs, "It's fine. This will do." She then changes into a black pair of undershorts along with jean-shorts and pulls on simple white T-shirt. To top it all off, she puts her spiky hair up into a ponytail. Now fully clothed in brand-new threads, she takes her leave of the store.

"Ma'am!" the attendant calls after her. She runs in front of Tote, blocking her path, informing, "You haven't paid."

"Paid?" Tote repeats. She strokes the back of her neck with her right hand. "Right..." She then throws her hand out over the attendant's shoulder and blasts a small hole in the one of the department-store walls. A second or two passes before the attendant comes to her senses and does a double-take behind her. Her eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. Shaken to the point beyond screaming, she falls to her knees onto the floor. Tote casually makes her way over to the set of automatic doors as other shoppers and employees gape at her, some in awe and some in fear, or both. Only a few rush over to comfort the frightened attendant. Tote takes a final glimpse over her shoulder and addresses the entire floor of the department, "I would appreciate it if everybody here today would keep this to themselves. Otherwise, something unpleasant might happen." She then sees the poor, traumatized woman sprawled onto her knees in the middle of the linoleum tile floor. Suddenly feeling guilty for scaring her like that, Tote adds, "If I can one day, I'll come back to pay for the clothes and to endorse you for the wall."

Through with shopping, Tote takes her leave of the store.

* * *

Walking down the sidewalk of the city, Tote can shift through her thoughts without being stared at. She starts to draw a mental map of how she could find her brother. Searching for his power level is one way, but there's always the chance of others equally strong as him. She doesn't even know how high his power level is supposed to be.

Already sensing a headache coming on, Tote presses her index and forefinger against the side of her head, aggressively rubbing them around in small circles. She tries to loosen her head as she walks on, until something catches her eye. A flyer on a telephone pole. Plucking it off, Tote reads it closely: _29th World Martial Arts Tournament -A competition of strength between the strongest in the world.  
_

Tote's eyes gleam. She then realizes all that she needs to do to reach her brother is right in front of her.

* * *

 **Well...there was the third chapter. I just want to apologize to those who found the whole bra ordeal more stupid than amusing, but I felt like I had to put that in there, especially for later purposes I intend to add (I assure you it's nothing too inappropriate for the current rating).**

 **Thank you reading, and please wait for the next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

**DarkPrinnyVegeto: Thank you for liking my character, here is the next chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _It is the day of the tournament. Everyone has arrived, and of course, by everyone, this means all of the Z-fighters and their families. Arriving in their vehicles, everyone dismounts and makes their way to the signup table. But unbeknownst to them, they are not alone. Elsewhere, Tote stays off to the side of the other contestants whom have already signed up. Arms crossed over her chest, she keeps head turned down. She silently awaits the arrival of her brother._

* * *

"I don't think I can expect any more changes to the tournament," Goku says once they're inside the arena. They are about to go up to the punching machine to attempt to qualify (or in their case, _just_ qualify).

"You've thought right," Vegeta replies, then adds, "for once."

Ignoring this remark, Goku goes on, "So, who's fighting this time?"

"Well," Krillin says, "There's you, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, me, 18, Videl, and, uh..." he trails off, not being able to count off anyone else on his fingers. He rubs the back of his head. "Well, basically everyone, I guess!"

"But remember, there will be some openings for others," Piccolo states. "Besides, there's no compromise that _all_ of us are going to fight." He gestures to Gohan and his wife. Everyone turns to them in surprise, eyebrows raised.

"Gohan, you're not competing? And Videl, too?" Goku questions.

Gohan shrugs. "We figured we might as well give a couple of a people a chance this year."

Vegeta scoffs. "Ha, as if that makes any difference. All it comes down to is losing against _me_."

Bulma rolls her eyes. " _Or_ losing against Goku." Vegeta stares daggers in her direction.

"Besides, my dad actually decided not to enter this year." Videl says to break the awkward silence. This further surprises everyone.

"Wow, Mr. Satan, too?" Goten asks.

"Well, at least this way nobody _has_ to lose." Trunks adds.

"Shame," 18 says, "I was hoping to get the coward to cough up more money this year."

Everybody briefly glances in her direction with worried expressions, but then burst out laughing.

"Well, let's go, guys," Goku says, and waves goodbye to his leaving friends. "We'll look for you in the crowd!"

"And we'll be cheering you on!" Bulma yells back.

Goku and the others line up at the machine, Goku in the front and Piccolo in the back. Then, something not far catches his eye. Looking over his shoulder, he can spot a girl about ten paces. She stands with her head tilt down and her arms crossed over her chest. She wears a white T-shirt exposing one black strap and a pair of jean-shorts with black sneakers. Her black hair is put in a spiky ponytail. Piccolo can sense an unusually large power level coming from her, but nothing too shocking.

She suddenly notices him staring at her, her blue-grey eyes fleeting in his direction. He flinches and quickly averts his gaze, turning back towards the front of the line. He still feels her eyes on him.

* * *

Tote keeps a hold on the figure that was watching her. He's uncommonly large, towering over most of the others in front of him. Green skin, antennas, and lined arms with patches of pink, she almost immediately recognizes him as a Namekian. She had read about them once.

She scans the rest of the line leading up to the very front. She freezes in shock as she realizes: it is her brother. In the very front of the line, with their father's spiky hair, and a tail that only a Saiyan has. Her eyes widen.

 _Kakarot..._

A wave of contradicting feelings flood into her. Longing. Uncertainty. Hate.

She grasps control of herself again, and her eyes narrow. She paces toward the back of the line, behind the Namekian. She minds to keep her tail tucked up her shirt.

Focusing, she searches his power level. It's one of the higher levels she's experienced, but nearly nothing compared to her's. She lets out a sigh of vague familiarity, contemplating the next move. However, her thoughts are disrupted by the blaring of a voice through a mega phone. One of the announcers exclaims, "Now, if there are any stray competitors who are to enter, please make your way to the punching machine!" A momentary pause as a few fighters find a spot in the lines to the machines. Once everyone is settled, the announcer continues, "Now, the try-outs will begin!"

Kakarot makes his way up to the machine. Carefully, he bounces a single knuckle off the plate. On the dial for the force of the hit appears: _198_. The supervisor expression twists into complete awe. Kakarot then makes his way away from the machine.

Next is another recognizable face: Prince Vegeta. Tote smirks, the thought of the descendant of the king living in harmony with a species he would've almost definitely eradicated. Similarly, he takes caution to gingerly hit the pressure plate. _204_. Generally the same. One by one, all of the others score high on their punches as well; a black-haired, short man earns 201. A blond woman scores 210. The Namekian's score is 213. Then comes Tote's turn. Off to the side where they think they're out of earshot, Vegeta mocks her, "I bet Ms. City-Girl here scores a 10."

She approaches the machine and raises her hand to the plate. As slowly as she can, she extends her index finger and lightly presses it into the plate. Then...

The machine explodes. Pieces of it go flying in every opposite direction, colliding into the walls that box in the try-outs arena and crumble them to bits. Tote watches as a particularly immense chunk of the machine cuts through a crowd of contestants, sending them running in every way. It finally ceases as it breaks through another segment of the wall and glides for another good distance. People gape at her with bugged-out eyes and gaping mouths, some sprawled on the ground.

The Z-fighters stare in complete and utter shock. Vegeta stutters, "Wha- Bu- How...?...HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!"

Nobody can come up with an answer. Tote strides past the group, her face remaining as it had, and makes her away far from the crowd.


	5. Chapter 5

**PrinnyVegito: As always, thank you for reading my story.**

 **Justanius: Thank you for liking my story.**

 **The fourth chapter is here. I hope I haven't kept everyone waiting too long! Please enjoy.**

* * *

Not much after, Tote is stationed for match assignment in the now almost deserted arena, containing only her, the same individuals who had been in front of her earlier, and a few other miscellaneous human fighters.

"Right," says the announcer, "now that we have our contestants, let us proceed with the match assessments." A box with an round opening on top is produced. It is brought to Son Goku. "If you please," the announcer acquires. Goku reaches in and comes up with a green sphere marked 7.

"Right, round 4," the announcer mumbles to himself as he scribbles down Goku's name under the designated number for the match. Next, the box is brought before Vegeta. Drawing another sphere, it is numbered 8, against Goku. "Round 4." Vegeta smirks while the others cringe. Of course as soon as Goku returns he's set to battle against Vegeta. While Goku was training under Shenlong, the prince of all Saiyans was training under his undying want to grow stronger than anybody.

Then, 18. She pulls number 5. "Round 3." Following up is Piccolo. He is assigned number 4, round 2. After that is Krillin, who draws number 2, assigned round 1. It all finally comes down to Tote. She sticks her arm in and grasps one of the remaining spheres. The Z-fighters watch in gnawing tension. Having witnessed her unnatural power earlier, they are slightly intimidated of her now. Pulling it up and reading it, she turns it around in her hand, showing everyone else her number. _1_. Krillin's mouth opens and eyes widen in alarm. He's fighting her.

Goku regards his unfortunate friend with a similar expression. They meet eyes, speechless. The announcer meanwhile writes down Tote's alias next to Krilin's on the board. "That is 'Kkone' against Krillin for the first round. Now, will the next contestant please proceed?"

"Geez, you're the first one up against that girl?!" Goku exclaims quietly. "Do you think you're gonna be okay?"

Krillin looks troubled as he answers, "Honestly, I can't be sure. All I can do is hope that she won't go full force on me when the time comes," rubbing his glistening forehead.

His wife, possibly even more concerned for him than he is, places a hand tentatively on his shoulder and tries to give him a reassuring look. "Don't worry," she says, "I'm sure you'll be alright. None of us will let anything happen to you." She forces a feeble smile. Krillin, despite knowing that 18 is just all the same uneasy, can't help but smile back at her feelings of concern for him. It is at times like these he's most grateful for having 18 there for him. He places a hand over her's.

Vegeta, a little more than nauseated than the sentiment between these two, smirks and breaks up the warm, fuzzy mood. "Ha, well," he remarks snarkily, "I can't say that _you'll_ stand a chance against this 'Kkone', but like I said, her luck is going to run out when she goes up against _me_."

"The matches have been set," the announcer says, "Now, as always, contestants are given time before the tournament, so please take your time before it begins."

The competitors are dismissed from the arena and disperse outside. The Z-fighters, naturally, head to the diner t stuff themselves prior of the event. Tote trails them from afar to the small building.

Inside, Goku and Vegeta immediately starts ordering food from the kitchen. They start devouring it as if their lives depend on it. Not long after they start eating, Gohan and Videl arrive once more to join them.

"Hey guys!" Gohan greets them. "How'd the try-out go?" he asks as he slips into the seat across from his father and grabs a leg off the roasted carcass of a chicken and rips his teeth into it.

"Great, as usual," Goku replies, "but you're not going to believe this..." he leans in and fills Gohan in on what they experienced firsthand in the arena. Gohan and Videl make the same exact face as Goku had.

"Really?! And Krillin is fighting her?!"

"Yup. In the very first round!"

As Goku and his son and daughter-in-law trail off into conversation, Piccolo steers his attention off to the side of the room...only to find "Kknone" seated at the corner table by herself. She leans on her folded arms placed on the table with her eyes closed. Piccolo doesn't look away this time. Determined to find out more about this girl, he stands up from the table and approaches her.

Without word, he plants himself directly across from her in a chair, retaining his folded arms and positioning himself so that he is facing the direction of the others. She opens her eyes and glances at him, but her expression otherwise doesn't change. The two sit in silence briefly before Piccolo speaks up, "So, we were all impressed by that show you put on back there."

Tote scoffs, "That wasn't any show."

"Well, whatever you like to call it, it was quite amazing."

Tote sits quiet for a moment, not sure what to say. "...Thank you."

They sit in silence until Piccolo speaks up again, "Will you tell me who trained you?"

Tote finds herself growing uncomfortable. Her eyes retreat to the corner of her seat. "Trained myself," she replies coyly.

This time Piccolo scoffs, "What kind of training does _that_ to a person?"

Tote's eyes narrow as her mouth turns sharp. "I'm sorry, am I not very believable?"

Hearing the venom in her voice, Piccolo directs his face to her's. She wears a scornful, sour glare. He suddenly finds himself captivated by her stare, her livid eyes boring into him. Then, the next thing he feels is as though he has hit a nerve. A wave of guilt wells up in him. Tote reads this in his expression, and her gaze softens, becoming like a child's. An awkward atmosphere settles between the two, and they look away in the opposite directions. "...I'm sorry," Piccolo apologizes after some waiting, "It's just that... it's very rare to hear- or _see_ \- someone with such strength."

Tote sees that he is trying to apologize tries to mend her tone as well. "It's fine. And I'm sorry, too." Somewhat "fixed" between the two, another silence starts to settle in, when Tote keeps the conversation up, asking with sincere concern, "Your friend, the one I am going to up against, is he strong?"

"Krillin? Well, he can certainly put up a fight, but...I'm afraid he doesn't stand a chance against you," Piccolo answers.

"I see..." Tote takes this into consideration, glancing at Piccolo's expression, which is now slightly worried at the mention of the unfortunate pairing. She goes on to ask, "And, you care is he is injured?"

"What? Well, yes, of course."

Tote makes a confirmation out of mutual respect for him. "Very well. I promise not to hurt him in any way when the time comes to fight him," she tells Piccolo.

Piccolo glances at her with a quizzed expression, not entirely sure what she means by this. Nevertheless, he replies, "Well, thank you."

Once again, a wave of quietness drifts in, this time livable. The two sit in silence, no longer speaking, when the announcer sticks his head in through the curtains hung in the doorway of the eatery on cue, informing everyone that the fights will be beginning within just under ten minutes.

Piccolo and Tote rise up from their table and make their way from the back of the diner, Piccolo to his group and Tote towards the exit. Walking alongside one another towards the front of the structure, Piccolo seizes those last few moments while they are out of earshot from the others to chat with Tote. "I enjoyed talking with you, Ms. Kkone. I hope we will get the opportunity to spar, you seem like you could be an interesting opponent." A smile curls up in his lips. He can't help himself; he feels like he has made a connection with her.

A genuine smile that beams back at Piccolo grows on Tote's face as well, small but visibly shy and happy. "Thank you. I enjoyed it as well, and I hope for the same," she replies as she trades one final look with Piccolo, now by his friends who are too preoccupied to notice this exchange, and Tote from the doorway before she exits and makes her way to the arena on her own. She suppresses her smile from growing as she walks away.

"Whoo! Boy, am I stuffed!" Goku exclaims, getting up from his seat and patting his now-filled gut. Piccolo's smile fades into dismay at the sight of the dirty plates and bowls piled halfway up to the ceiling on the table. Gohan and Vegeta get up as well, having had their fill, too.

"You can't wait until _after_ the tournament for once?" Piccolo asks disdainfully.

"Hey, what can I say? We Saiyans love to eat!" Goku replies gleefully.

Sighing, the Namekian proceeds to the arena with his friends. Everyone in preparation for the great tournament to begin, the announcer takes his place on the platform of the fighting ring, microphone in hand. " _Up first_ ," he speaks into the mic, " _Fighter number one, Kknone, versus fighter number two, Krillin!_ "

The gong goes off, indicating the start of the fight.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_ **In case any of you reader's haven't got this, I meant for Tote's name to be the anagram of the segment " _tato_ " in " _potato_ ". The "a" sounds more like a short-e to me when pronounced. As for Tote's false name in this chapter, it's the anagram of the Japanese term for roots, _nekko_ , since her entire family's names are based off of root-vegetables.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6! Not as quite long as the others have been, but I still hope it's up to expectations. Thanks to everybody who reads this chapter and those who have also been reading the rest of this fanfic, as well followers and likes. Happy reading!**

* * *

"Hoo, boy," Krillin lets out a breath of anxiety as he prepares himself to walk out into the ring for his battle.

"Good luck," 18 says as she briefly rests her hands on her husband's shoulders to reassure him before he makes his way onto the center of the platform.

Piccolo watches in curiosity, pondering what exactly Krillin's opponent had meant earlier when she promised not to injure him. He understood the concept of what she said when she said no harm would come to him, but he had no idea of how she expected to beat Krillin without injury nor laying a finger on him. Arms crossed, he nears the exit to the platform to get a better view. Also surrounding the opening is Goku, Vegeta, and 18.

Krillin stands face to face with Tote (or rather, face to torso). She appears completely harmless right here and now, wearing an everyday outfit and doing nothing. Her expression remains blank, but at the same time unwavering and confident. Krillin tries not to let himself feel intimidated.

" _Now let the fight..._ " the announcer cues, "BEGIN!" The message to begin fighting has been officially given. Suddenly...

Krillin had several strategies planned out for his one-on-one with this girl at least to keep him from getting clobbered, and a countless amount of tactics in store to use, which he had been practicing the entire time before the tournament. But, unfortunately for the unsuspecting fighter, not one single technique would ever come even close to touching Tote. At the same exact time the fight goes off, it's over. It takes Krillin a few seconds to realize he is on the grass. His eyebrows pop up at the discovery, and all that can come out of his mouth is a series of baffled "Huh?!"s. Likewise, the crowd and the Z-fighters have to blink at least once to confirm that they're not hallucinating.

Stunned, Krillin topples on to his backside on the grassy terrain surrounding the platform. His mouth is wide open and gaping, his insides somewhat rattled. The weirdest thing, however, is the fact that Tote _didn't move at all_.

In the waiting area, everyone else stares open-mouthed at this scene. "Wha~?!" Goku stutters. It takes another few minutes for somebody to form a coherent sentence.

Finally, the announcer fills the silence by speaking, dumb-struck, into his microphone, saying, "And...the winner of the match is Kkone!" Instead of applause, murmurs ripple through the crowd. Totally unchanging, Tote takes her leave of the arena, casually striding off and back into the waiting area. The eyes of the contestants follow her on her way in. Not long after, Krillin enters as well. His friends crowd him.

"What just happened out there?!" Goku asks, unsettled.

Krillin, more visibly shaken, answers as he stares wide-eyed down at the floor. "I- I have no idea. I literally didn't feel anything," he staggers over his words.

Again speechless, the Z-fighters glance over at Tote. She now resides on the benches attached to the walls, arms and legs crossed with her eyes shut. Her expression reads serene. Piccolo can now slightly better understand what Tote had meant when she promised not to hurt Krillin, but it still remains a mystery how.

Everybody's awe, however, is interrupted by the loud voice of the announcer through the mic. "Next up, fighter number 4, Piccolo, against fighter number 3, Hamu!" Piccolo and his opponent approach the platform, Piccolo caught up in thought. The seemingly ludicrous thought pops into his head, _Is it possible that she was so fast to increase her power level so that we couldn't sense it nor see her...?_ He immediately dismisses the idea as ridiculous, telling himself that no-one is that powerful. But he still can't shake off the tiniest feeling of doubt.

The fight goes off, and, this not being any shocking at all, Piccolo defeats his opponent in a mere few seconds and a single punch. The commoners in astonishment, his allies *and their families gathered in the crowd) simply smile. Continuing, 18 is up against a fighter by the title of Zo. Similarly, the fight lasts no longer than a half-minute.

Already through the first three rounds, up next is the one that everyone had initially forgotten but now dread. "Fighter number 7, Vegeta, against fighter number 8, Son Goku!" the announcer booms. The Z-fighters and Tote both know this round isn't going to go so quickly...


End file.
